The lost Italian village of Curon is now seeing the light of day after being submerged underwater for the past seven decades. Located in the northern part of the country, the lost town was once home to nearly 900 residents and 160 homes, before it was flooded for a hydroelectric plant and part of the merger of two nearby lakes back in 1950. The area is located in the Italian province of South Tyrol, where the borders of Italy, Austria and Switzerland meet.
The watery grave under the cold Lake Resia has been best known for the village’s 14th century church steeple. The highest point in Curon, it pierces the water, astounding visitors and reminding locals of what lies just a few fathoms below the surface. The lake is popular with hikers in summer, with visitors in winter able to walk across the frozen surface to reach the spire.
The town’s ruins were revealed when workers began to drain the body of water under which the town was submerged to conduct maintenance. By May, the area was completely dry and the former town was visible for the first time in decades. Many of those who were residing in Curon during the 1940s were opposed to the creation of the manmade lake. Some of the residents in the Italian town were displaced to other areas in Italy, but most remained close by in nearby villages. “It was strange for me to walk among the rubble of houses. I felt curiosity and sadness,” said Lucia Azzolini, a local resident, after visiting the scene. For those hoping to catch a glimpse of the lost village, time is running out. The village will become submerged once more when the repairs are completed. Once again, water will cover the village and by the end of the summer it will be submerged again, likely for decades to come.
